Objective 2. Start Access, Open an Existing Database, and View Database Objects

When you start the Access program, the Access window displays. From the Access window, you can either create a new database or open an existing database.

Activity 1.2. Starting Access and Opening an Existing Database

When a database is open, the Database window displays. From the Database window you can navigate among the different objectsthe primary components in the database.

1.

On the left side of the Windows taskbar, click the Start button . On the computer you are using, determine where the Access program is located, point to Microsoft Office Access 2003, and then click once to open the program. Compare your screen with Figure 1.3.
 

Figure 1.3.

(This item is displayed on page 869 in the print version)

Across the upper portion of the Access window you can see the title bar, a menu bar, and the Database toolbar. The Getting Started task pane displays on the right and a blank gray area displays on the left. From the Getting Started task pane, you can connect to Microsoft Office online, open an existing database, or start a new database. A database, when opened, will display in the gray area.
 

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NoteComparing Programs

Access opens the program only.

You may have used Microsoft Word, which opens and displays a blank document, or Microsoft Excel, which opens and displays a blank workbook. Access, however, does not open a blank databaseit opens the program only.

2.

Take a moment to study the elements of the Access window shown in Figure 1.3 and described in the table in Figure 1.4.
 

Figure 1.4. Elements of the Access Window

Element	Description
Title bar	Displays the name of the program and contains the Minimize, Maximize/Restore Down, and Close buttons.
Menu bar	Contains the menus of Access commands; display a menu by clicking on its name in the menu bar.
Database toolbar	Contains a row of buttons that provide a one-click method to perform the most common commands in Access.
Task pane	Displays commonly used commands related to the current activity.
Status bar	Displays information about the task you are working on.

 

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3.

From the File menu, click Open. Alternatively, on the Database toolbar, click the Open button .

Menus in Access work the same way as in other Office applications. Each menu displays a list of related commands. Depending on the settings for your computer, the menus may fully display when opened, or display as a shortened version with the most recently used menu commands listed. To expand a menu, click the expand arrow at the bottom of the menu list, or wait a brief moment and the full menu will display.
 

4.

In the displayed Open dialog box, click the Look in arrow, and then navigate to the location where you are storing your projects for this chapterthe Access Chapter 1 folder that you created.
 

5.

Locate the database file that you saved and renamed with your name in Activity 1.1. Click your 1A_Academic_Departments_Firstname_Lastname database file once to select it, and then, in the lower right corner, click the Open button. Alternatively, double-click the name of the database.

A security warning message similar to the one shown in Figure 1.5 may display. Windows has sensitive security precautions. Depending on your version of Windows and the security settings on your computer, you may see a security warning every time you open an Access database. This warning advises you that the file may not be safe to open if it contains code that was intended to harm your files. Because database components are interconnected and may contain macros, this security warning displays as a precaution. Macros are programs within Access that are used to manage files. The files that you use in this textbook are safe to open. Each time you see this security warning, to continue click Open, or Yesdepending on the security message displayed.
 

Figure 1.5.

 

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6.

If the Security Warning dialog box displays, click Yes or Open. If a second Security Warning message displays, click Open. Compare your screen with Figure 1.6.
 

Figure 1.6.

The 1A_Academic_Departments_Firstname_Lastname Database window opens.
 

7.

Take a moment to study the elements of the Database window shown in Figure 1.6 and described in the table in Figure 1.7.
 

Figure 1.7. Elements of the Database Window

Element	Description
Database window	Displays when a database is open and allows you to access all the database objects.
Objects bar	Contains buttons that switch between object lists in the database.
Groups bar	Contains shortcuts to different database objects that you have grouped together.
Database window sizing buttons	Enables you to minimize, maximize, and close the Database window.
Object commands	Activate commands related to the selected database object.
Database window toolbar	Contains buttons that provide a one-click method to activate commands such as those that open an object, create a new object, delete an object, or change the way the objects are listed.

 

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8.

On the Objects bar, notice that Tables is selected. On the Objects bar, click each of the other object buttons and read the brief explanation of each object in the table in Figure 1.8.
 

Figure 1.8. Access Objects

Object	Description
Tables	Contain the data
Queries	Retrieve data that matches specified conditions
Forms	Display data, usually one record at a time, and are used to enter data
Reports	Display data in a formatted manner for printing and publication
Pages	Create shortcuts that display database information in a Web format
Macros	Automate commands within a database
Modules	Customize database activities using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)the programming language used to write programs in most Microsoft Office applications

Each of these objects is used by Access to manage the data stored in the 1A_Academic_Departments database. As you progress in your study of Access, you will learn more about each of these objects.
 

Activity 1.3. Navigating a Table

Tables are the foundation on which an Access database is built because all of the data in an Access database is stored in one or more tables. Each table contains data about only one subject. In the following activity, you will view the Departments table, which contains data about the academic departments at Lake Michigan City College.

1.	On the Objects bar, click Tables to select it. To the right of the Objects bar, three command icons display followed by the names of two tables. The commands represented by the icons provide three different methods for creating a new table. Following the commands are the names of the two tables that have been created and saved as part of the 1A_Academic_Departments database. The two tables in this database are the Departments table and the Faculty table.
2.	Click the Departments table once to select it, and then, just above the Objects bar, on the Database window toolbar, click the Open button . Alternatively, double-click the table name to open it. Then, compare your screen with Figure 1.9.     Figure 1.9. The table opens and the Table Datasheet toolbar displays in the Access window. The Table Datasheet displays the data organized in a format of columns and rows similar to Excel. In Access, each column contains a category of data called a field. Field names display at the top of each column of the table. Each row contains a recordall of the data pertaining to one person, place, thing, event, or idea. In this table, each record consists of the data related to one academic department. The navigation areaused to navigate among recordsdisplays along the bottom of the window.
3.	Locate the record containing CIT in the Dept Code column, and then along the left side of the open table, point to the gray row selector box next to the record to display the Select Row pointer . Click once to select the entire record, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.10.   Figure 1.10. (This item is displayed on page 874 in the print version)
4.	At the top of the table, point to Dept Name until the Select Column pointer displays, and then click once to select the column. Each column is a field that contains the same type of data for each recorda category of information. For example, one category of information contained in each record is the name of the Department.
5.	In the navigation area at the bottom of the Departments table, click the Next Record button , and notice that the second record is selected and displays a right-pointing triangle in the row selector box. The second record becomes the active record. Use the Next Record button to scroll forward through the records one at a time.
6.	In the navigation area, click the Last Record button to make the last record in the table active, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.11.     Figure 1.11. The navigation area displays the total number of records in the table and the record number of the currently active record, which is the order in which the current record is placed as the table is currently sorted. For example, the selected record is the twelfth record out of a total of 12 records.
7.	In the navigation area, click the Previous Record button . The second to last record is selected and becomes the active record. Use the Previous Record button to scroll backward through records one at a time.
8.	In the navigation area, click the First Record button to move to the first record in the table.
9.	In the upper left corner of the Table Datasheet toolbar, click the View button , and then compare your screen with Figure 1.12.   Figure 1.12. (This item is displayed on page 876 in the print version) The Table Design view displays. A view is a way of looking at an object. Each Access object has two or more views. In most objects, you can view the data in the object or you can view the design of the object.   Clicking the View button toggles the display of the object between the two most common views. In a table, clicking the View button alternates the table between the Design viewthe view used to create and modify the design of an objectand the Datasheet viewthe view that displays the actual records.   NoteAccess Buttons and Toolbars Help You Know What They Do! When the datasheet is displayed, the image on the View button displays a ruler, a pencil, and a protractor, indicating that clicking the button will switch the display to the Design view of the table. When the Design view is displayed, the View button displays as a datasheet, indicating that clicking the button will switch the display to the Datasheet view. To further assist you, the main toolbar in the Access window changes to the toolbar needed for the object view that is displayed. In the Datasheet view of the table, the Table Datasheet toolbar displays, whereas in the Design view of the table, the Table Design toolbar displays. The buttons on each toolbar carry out the most common commands for the current view of the object.
10.	In Design view, on the Departments table title bar, click the Close button to close the Departments table and redisplay the Database window.

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Alert!: Did the Database Close?

If you click the Close button on the Database window rather than the Departments table title bar, you will close the database along with the table. To reopen the database, on the Access menu bar click File, and then at the end of the menu locate your 1A_Academic_Departments database and click it to reopen the file.

 

Activity 1.4. Adding a New Record by Typing in a Table

New records can be added or edited directly in a table. In this activity, you will add a new record to the Faculty table.

1.

In the Database window, double-click the Faculty table. Alternatively, click once to select the table name and then click the Open button on the Database window toolbar; or, right-click the table name, and then from the displayed shortcut menu, click Open.
 

2.

On the Table Datasheet toolbar, click the New Record button . Alternatively, in the navigation area, click the New Record button.

The insertion point moves to the first field in the empty row at the end of the table. Here you begin to enter a new record.
 

3.

In the Employee ID field, type 2070 press to move to the next field, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.13.
 

Figure 1.13.

A small pencil icon displays in the row selector box to the left of the number you just typed. The pencil icon indicates that a record is being added or edited.
 

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4.

In the First Name field box, type your first name. Press to move to the Last Name field, and then type your last name.

Your name is added to the record in this table. When you print a report that is based on this table, your name will be included in the records that display.
 

5.

Continue in this manner to enter the remaining data for this record as shown below. Be sure to use your own last name in the email address, and when finished, compare your results with Figure 1.14.
 

Figure 1.14.

 

Dept Code	Extension	Rank	Email
CIT	5204	Student Assistant	[e-mail]

Do not be concerned if the data you typed does not fully display. As you progress in your study of Access in this chapter, you will adjust the width of columns.
 

6.

In the navigation area, click the First Record button .

The record you entered is saved as soon as the insertion point is moved to another record or the table is closed. You do not have to take any specific action to save the record you entered. The first record becomes the active record as indicated by the triangle icon in the row selector box that is pointing to the first record.
 

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Activity 1.5. Navigating Among Records Using the Keyboard

A quick way to navigate among records in a table is to use the keys on your keyboard.

1.

Take a moment to review the table in Figure 1.15, which lists the key combinations you can use to navigate within an Access table.
 

Figure 1.15. Key Combinations for Navigating a Table

Keystroke	Movement
	Moves the selection up one record at a time.
	Moves the selection down one record at a time.
	Moves the selection up one screen at a time.
	Moves the selection down one screen at a time.
	Moves the selection to the first field in the table.
	Moves the selection to the last field in the table.

 

2.

In the Faculty table, press to move the selection down one record. Experiment with the different navigation keystrokes.
 

3.

On the Faculty table title bar, click the Close button to close the table and display the Database window.
 

Activity 1.6. Viewing a Query

The second object on the Objects bar is Queries. To query is to ask a question. Queries are used to sort, search, and limit the data that displaysthese are actions that change data into meaningful information. You can also perform calculations using a query. For example, you could use the Queries object to ask how many students are enrolled in a class. Locating and displaying specific information in a database, such as the names of the faculty members in the CIT department, is referred to as extracting information from the database.

1.	On the Objects bar, click Queries. The Database window displays two command icons representing commands you can use to create a new query. They are followed by one query that has been created and saved as part of the 1A_Academic_Departments database.
2.	Double-click the CIT Faculty query. Alternatively, right-click the query name, and then click Open on the displayed shortcut menu; or click once to select the query and then click the Open button on the Database window toolbar. When a query is opened, Access runsprocessesthe query and displays the results, which is selected information from one or more tables based on the query design.
3.	Look at the records that display and compare your screen with Figure 1.16.   Figure 1.16. This query responds to the question What are the names and phone numbers of everyone in the CIT department? The number of records in the query result is less than the number of records in the table because certain criteriaspecifications that determine what records will displaywere entered as part of the query. You can see that not all of the fields from the table are included, because this query was created to locate only the names and phone extensions of people in the CIT department. You can also see that your name is included in the results because you entered your name as a Student Assistant in the CIT department. In this manner, you can see that each time the query is opened, the query is run to produce the most up-to-date result.
4.	On the Query Datasheet toolbar, click the View button to display the Query Design view, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.17.   Figure 1.17. (This item is displayed on page 881 in the print version) Whereas the Query Datasheet view displays the results of the query, the Query Design view displays how the query was formed. Recall that the View button toggles between the Datasheet view that displays the records, and the Design view that displays the design of the object. Also recall that the toolbar changes to reflect the current view of the object that is displayed. The top portion of the query window displays a field list, a box listing the field names in the selected tablethe Faculty table. The lower portion of the window is the design grid and includes four field names. Notice that under the Dept Code field, CIT displays on the Criteria row. In this manner, the query results are restricted to display only the individuals in the CIT department.
5.	On the title bar of the CIT Faculty query, click the Close button to close the query and display the Database window.

Activity 1.7. Viewing a Form

Forms, the third object on the Objects bar, provide an alternative method to both enter and display data in the Tables object. The records that display in a form are the same records that are in the table, with one difference: forms can be designed to display only one record at a time.

1.	On the Objects bar, click Forms. To the right of the Objects bar, two command icons representing commands to create a new form display, followed by a form that has been created and saved as part of the Academic Departments database. Thus far, only one form, the Faculty Input Form, has been created for this database.
2.	Double-click the Faculty Input Form. Alternatively, use any other method you have practiced for opening a named object from the Database window. Compare your screen with Figure 1.18.   Figure 1.18. (This item is displayed on page 882 in the print version) The Faculty Input Form displays. The fields are filled in with the data representing the first record in the database. Your record displays because this table is sorted by Employee ID and your Employee ID number is the lowest number in the table.
3.	In the navigation area at the bottom of the form, click the Next Record button until record 4for Jerome Moodydisplays in the form. As you click the Next Record button, each individual record from the Faculty table displays in the form.
4.	Close the Faculty Input Form window to redisplay the Database window.

Activity 1.8. Viewing and Printing a Report

The fourth button on the Objects bar is Reportsa database object that displays the fields and records from a table or a query in an easy-to-read format suitable for printing. Create reports to summarize information in your database in a professional-looking manner.

1.	On the Objects bar, click Reports, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.19.   Figure 1.19. (This item is displayed on page 883 in the print version) To the right of the Objects bar, two command icons representing commands to create a new report display, followed by a report that has been created and saved as part of the Academic Departments database. Thus far, only one report, the Faculty by Department report, has been created for this database.
2.	Use any technique you have practiced to open the object Faculty by Department report, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.20.   Figure 1.20. The Faculty by Department report displays in Print Preview mode.
3.	In the upper right corner of the Faculty by Department report window, click the Maximize button to expand the report to fill your screen.
4.	On the Print Preview toolbar, point to the word Fit to display the ScreenTip Zoom. To zoom means to make the page view larger or smaller. Fit means that an entire page of the report will display on your screen at one time giving you an overall view of what the printed pages will look like.
5.	On the toolbar, click the Zoom arrow and then, from the displayed list, click 100%. Drag the vertical scroll box down until the Computer Information Technology department list displays, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.21.   Figure 1.21. Zooming to 100% displays the report in the approximate size it will be when it is printed. Reports are designed to be professional-looking documents that you can print. Each time a report is opened, Access checks the table data and then displays up-to-date information in the report. For example, this report was created before you opened the database, but the record you added with your name now displays in the report under the Computer Information Technology department.
6.	Check your Chapter Assignment Sheet or Course Syllabus, or consult your instructor, to determine whether you are to submit the printed pages that are the results of this project. If you are submitting your files electronically, go to the next step. If you are submitting your work on paper, on the toolbar, click the Print button to print the Faculty by Department report.
7.	In the upper right corner of the report window, to the right of the Type a question for help box, click the Close Window button to close the report. Because you maximized the Report window, the Database window displays in a maximized view. When you maximize one object, the Database window and all other objects will be maximized to fill the screen. To return the Database window to its previous size, click the Restore Window button on the menu bar.
8.	In the Database window, click the Close Window button to close the Academic Departments database. Then, Close the Access window. Your 1A_Academic_Departments_Firstname_Lastname database closes, and the Access program closes. As you progress in your study of Access, you will use the remaining objects on the Objects barPages, Macros, and Modules.

End

You have completed Project 1A

Project 1B Fundraising